Aftershocks
by crimson chocolate
Summary: A series of shorts that take place after my first story, Kaon. Sometimes ground-shaking events come with smaller shakes; an earthquake can damage a building, an aftershock could bring it down. Traumatic events leave scars, but no matter the pain or sorrow, true friends are always there to help you through it.


_**Aftershocks**_

So each drabble is based on a different character and their interactions with Bee after my first story, Kaon. I don't know how touchy-feely they are but I like hugging…. So fluff occurs… (In the games some of the Autobots had their arms slung around each other. And in the theatrical trailer for Fall of Cybertron (which is the most epic thing I have ever seen by the way) Optimus is literally carrying Bumblebee around. (transportation hug?) I shall use that as supporting evidence that hugging can occur.)

And so I started with Jazz…

Jazz is complicated… When I wrote this, Fall of Cybertron hadn't come out yet so I really had no idea what to think about him. Besides that he was a badass, doing push ups in his prison cell. (Why would a mech do push ups? They don't tear muscle-like cables that will re-grow/form stronger do they? Well, whatever the reason he's still a badass)

I have since played FoC. He and Cliff had an epic bro fist and some lovely banter, so I learned he's still quite the fun-loving friendly mech. And he has a badass grappler (not that that ties in with any friendship building to be had within this story, but it's still worth mentioning) He didn't interact with Bee (not that many people did, muteness kinda has that effect on people) but his friendship with Cliff did give me something to work with. I hope I do him justice.

Please, read and enjoy.

_**Jazz**_

After Kaon, Bee was a bit different. Everyone realized this very quickly.

Jazz was the first one to notice- besides Ratchet, of course- being a mech that worked with the scout frequently. The saboteur was head of Special Operations, and Bee was the head of the spies and scouts; they were in collaboration with each other for almost all operations.

But it wasn't working together with the scout that let Jazz in on this particular piece of knowledge. Bumblebee remained in the med-bay a considerable amount of time after Kaon. Internal injuries were tricky and took longer to repair; Bee had a lot of them.

No stranger to trauma- it was called _Special_ Operations for a reason- the saboteur noticed the haunted look in the scouts optics the first time he had come to visit him. Bee was clever and managed to hide the look quickly enough most of the time, but sometimes, when he wasn't completely focused, Jazz thought he could see fear in the yellow mech's normally bright optics.

A quick check of the briefing files later and the saboteur knew the story to the entirety that the scout had reported it. There were some gaps in the story, a few unclarified instances, but enough that Jazz had a good idea of what had happened. His friend had been tortured. It would probably take a while for him to cope with it.

But Jazz didn't want to wait for Bee to replay it over in his head a thousand times until he got over it, or to pretend that it never happened. Experience had taught him that neither way would achieve the solace that the other undoubtedly desired.

The saboteur wanted to talk to him, to tell him that he understood his pain. A terrible thing may have happened to him, but Jazz felt no different towards him, no disgust nor pity. He wanted to tell him that no matter how damaged he was, he would- they all would- always love the little yellow mech. But it wasn't a conversation for him to initiate. Bee had to talk to him when he was ready, and until then, Jazz would wait.

He didn't have to wait long.

According to Ratchet the scout had just left the med-bay and was apparently meandering around the base. Jazz set out to find him and congratulate him on his freedom from the med-bay and the ornery medic that inhabited it.

It took a few minutes wandering the familiar halls of the base, but Jazz found him. Bumblebee was standing in the middle of the hallway, not moving. The saboteur couldn't see his faceplates and was concerned, walking swiftly to the other's side.

When he placed a servo on the unsuspecting scout's shoulder, he intended to simply attract the other's attention. It incited a very different reaction from the yellow mech. Bumblebee literally dove away, twisting back with weapons half transformed, a look of terror in his optics.

Jazz first froze, then backed away slowly, understanding the situation immediately. Normally, everyone was programmed to react quickly- they were in a war and one second could mean life or death. But usually a mech did not react so intensely nor with so much fear. Especially when at home base.

The scout probably wasn't seeing _him _through those haunted optics.

Bumblebee just stared for a long moment at his friend, who was trying to look as harmless as possible, before recognition finally shone in his optics. In less than a second, the weapons were gone- servos in their place- and it was Bumblebee who was frozen in place.

Jazz saw the threat as over and took a few tentative steps forward, arms open in an offering. The scout hesitated only a moment before he walked slowly toward the other, stopping just inside the saboteur's reach. Refusing to allow the other to deny the comfort and company he had offered, Jazz stepped forward until he could wrap his arms around the scout.

After a few moments of stillness, Bumblebee finally allowed himself to sink into the saboteur's embrace. Ignoring the pain the motion produced in his still partially damaged chassis, he wrapped his own arms around Jazz as far as they went, and buried his face in his chassis.

"Jazz?" Bee sounded young and vulnerable and the larger mech tightened his grip around the other.

"Yeah, Bee?" The saboteur responded warmly, one servo gently rubbing the smaller mech's back trying to quell the light trembling of the other's frame. He wondered whether Bee was hurting or just afraid, but didn't ask him. One step at a time.

"I'm sorry," the scout had yet to show his faceplates, which were still shoved against Jazz's chassis. This wasn't like the smaller mech, hiding from his friends. Neither was trying to blast them. The larger mech felt a surge of anger at the Decepticon that made Bee afraid of his own friends.

"Hey, it's alright. You didn't hurt anybody," the saboteur assured him, calming himself down and smiling even though the other couldn't see it.

"But I could have!" Jazz was surprised at the sudden intensity of his voice. The scout pushed away a bit and the other mech met Bee's optics, which shone brightly. "I could have hurt you. And I thought-" The scout cut himself off, looking away from the larger mech to stare at the floor, his expression a mix of frustration and shame. The saboteur gently grabbed Bee's helm and turned it so the scout was looking at him.

"What did you think?" He asked gently, watching as the others expression became first saddened, then angry, and then a mixture of the two.

"I thought that you were going to hurt me." Jazz was speechless at the other's admission- it took a lot of strength to admit something like that to yourself, let alone others- and he allowed the smaller mech a chance to continue, to explain himself. "I know you and I trust you but I thought you were going to hurt me. I was afraid of you."

_Kaon, huh?_ Jazz understood- after fighting as many fights as he had, seeing his fellow Autobot's die, being imprisoned in Kaon himself, he knew what Bee was going through. It's hard not to be paranoid after being trapped in a fortress where everyone that can help you is caged in a cell and everyone else is set on your destruction.

"You're not going to shoot me now, are you?" The saboteur asked abruptly, startling the scout that was still mostly in his arms. The smaller mech looked up at him in confusion.

"Well, no, but-"

"And you're not afraid of me now?"

"No…"

"Then everything is fine."

Bumblebee gave him a hesitant smile and Jazz just wrapped his arms around the smaller mech again. The saboteur would give the scout as long as he needed- to cope, to talk, anything- because he understood. Time would heal the mech's wounds, both physical and mental, and if needed, Jazz would be there for him too.


End file.
